Building Newsletter, October 2025 Oct 24, 2025 | Building and planning Welcome to Carterton Council’s latest Building Newsletter for October 2025. In this issue Team Updates Consent Statistics (to 30 September) Code Compliance Certificates (CCC) Inspections & Booking Expectations Remote Inspections (ZYTE) Fire Reports: Common Issues & Reviews Legislative Change: What’s Proposed? MBIE Guidance, Webinars & Consultation Granny Flats Exempt building work provisions Recent Determinations & LBP Decisions Planning Matters: District Plan Updates Wairarapa Combined District Plan — Decisions Version Feedback & Contact Team Updates We continue to have a small number of consents coming in the door. This means that we are tidying up old things. We are also continuing our work chasing up building warrant of fitness matters. We are seeing an increase in the amount of historical consents dating back from 1993 turning up and people wanting CCC’s. This is often lead by banks and insurance companies. The longer you wait the less likely a CCC will be issued. You can ring our friendly team any time to see if there are any outstanding consents on your property. Don’t wait until the property has an offer and you are trying to sell. Government demands for reporting and feedback continue to consume a significant amount of time. This is particularly hard for a small team like ours. Our quarterly report to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment [MBIE] takes one person one day to do. We must support MBIE as they monitor the sector performance. We hope that MBIE will focus their attention from blaming councils, and to issues such as poor design, We have celebrated Suzanne’s 20-year anniversary at Council. This is a significant achievement. Suzanne‘s knowledge across a broad work stream for this length of time is invaluable. She’s seen Mayors and CEOs come and go over that time. We are sure that her current team is her favourite by far! Brett left us in October, for a career in the Fire service. We wish him all the best. There is no plan to replace him given our current workloads. We will use a processing contractor to ensure we meet our statutory timeframes. We remain focused on ensuring we meet all of our regulatory timeframes and the level of service we currently provide. Consent Statistics to 30 September Our records show that 64% of consents had RFI’s issued. We don’t expect designers to get things right every time, but it is important that they carefully check their work for consistency across their drawing set and that they are up to date with current changes IE, water temperatures, smoke alarms, hose tap vacuum breakers etc. Code Compliance Certificates (CCC) So far this year we have completed 1152 inspections, compared to last year’s. Fire Reports — Common issues & reviews Fire reports continue to be a persistent issue for Council. If a CPENG fire engineer does not prepare a fire report, we will send it to our contracted Chartered Professional Engineer (CPEng) for review. Alternatively, the applicant can have the report peer-reviewed themselves. When we receive a fire report, we check the basic facts associated with the project. For example, has the author used the correct risk group and classified use? Have they identified the correct sections of the Building Act? We also check that they have used the right sizes of the building and measured the means of escape correctly. Frustratingly, it is common to find that even these most basic of facts are incorrect, regardless of the author’s qualifications and status. If we find the basic facts are incorrect, we will always send it for review, regardless of the author’s status. The author should also state if the Fire Engineering Unit should review the report. Given this is purely about life, this is part of the sector that needs to lift its game significantly. Inspections & booking expectations We are seeing an increase in failed inspections because people are calling for inspections when the work isn’t ready. This wastes everyone’s time and, of course, adds cost to the project. We are also receiving requests for photos in lieu of inspections. We will not typically accept photos of work unless we have previously inspected part of the work and agreed up front that photos are acceptable. Recently, the Government introduced legislative changes requiring councils to carry out inspections within three days, 80 percent of the time. Although this isn’t an issue for us at the moment, people still need to organise their inspections ahead of time — don’t leave it until the last minute. Believe it or not, we have builders who ring a week or so in advance to book inspections — well done them! Remote Inspections (ZYTE) Council have the facility to undertake inspections remotely using a product called ZYTE. This means we don’t have to come to the site. We send you a text, you open the text and say “Yes” to the questions [screenshot below]. This allows us to see through the camera on your phone [and no, we can’t see your photos – don’t panic!]. We then tell you what we want you to point the camera at, we photograph what we want, and the inspection ends. Typically, we use ZYTE for small inspections or for the likes of remedial inspections, such as some additional work following an on-site failed inspection. Legislative Change: What’s Proposed? No doubt you would have seen the Government promoting various pieces of legislative change designed to speed up the consenting process, reduce costs, reduce red tape and remove the checks, balances and overview traditionally provided by council. Some of the work streams include: Changing the LBP scheme to include under tile waterproofing Changes to liability settings Changes to earthquake-prone building legislation Exempting Granny flats ( small standalone dwellings) from both building and resource consenting requirements ( exclusions will apply) Self-certification by plumbers and drainlayers ( prescribed work by trusted individuals) Restrictions eased on garden sheds Self-certification by defined builders( prescribed work by trusted individuals) The use of overseas product standards, overseas product verification, or other products or systems identified by the Minister. [Read more at building.govt.nz] Many of these changes are expected early next year. MBIE is consulting on many of these elements as I put this newsletter together. If you have a view on the proposals, take the opportunity and provide feedback to MBIE. MBIE are always keen to hear from people other than councils. Councils are concerned Councils function will turn from interactive to reactive and enforcement based. What these proposals show is that government have a different appetite for risk compared to previous governments. The Minister continues to provide assurances that these changes will not lead to widespread issues for building owners because people will always still comply with the Building Code and do the job properly. The change to liability settings is typically welcomed by councils however it doesn’t mean we don’t check that the work is being done properly. We wont look at a problem, decide because we won’t have to pay as much if it goes wrong, we can ignore it. The satisfied on reasonable grounds test still applies in exactly the same way. Before you get stuck in and start building granny flats and sheds willy nilly all over the place, and trying to sign off your own work, or get your plumber mates in, you need to wait for the legislative change to come through. There is likely a number of conditions that will need to be met before you can start as part of each of these things. The devil will be in the detail of supporting regulations and then guidance to explain what the regulations mean. This is all due early next year. The message is – hold off until then. MBIE Guidance, Webinars & Consultation MBIE provides a range of guidance and webinars on proposed changes in support of upcoming consultations, or changes required by the Minister. There is also consultation on what they call Building Code review (acceptable solution review). Recently Councils attended a webinar on the oversea’s product scheme including certificates of conformity in this case relating to thousands of products covered by watermark in Australia. We are looking forward to seeing what designers do with these. Our intention is to just carry on as normal. If you are member of a recognised group such as Master Buildings, Certified Builders, Master Plumbers, NZIA, or Engineering New Zealand for example, often they seek members view and provide feedback to the Ministry. I would encourage you to be a part of that feedback loop. Remember its hard to moan about changes if you didn’t provide any input. Register for MBIE updates Granny flat/small stand-alone dwelling exemptions MBIE and the Government have clearly been busy. They have released information relating to the granny flat/small standalone dwelling exemptions. I do note that it is not Council’s role to provide construction, nor design, advice. When making decisions around these exemptions, homeowners should seek advice from design and construction professionals, not Council. Council will play no part in the design and/or construction of this type of exempt work, other than project information memoranda [PIMs] and getting paperwork It is useful to remind people of the requirements for contracts, making sure contracts are checked and that there is adequate protection in place for homeowners Exempt building work provisions The Government has also recently changed the exempt building work provisions to include roof-mounted solar panel arrays and single-storey detached buildings, as well as their boundary setbacks. Solar panel and boundary setback building consent exemption changes | Building Performance Traditionally most Councils have considered solar arrays as electrical work and haven’t required building consents. By clarifying that this type of work would have required consent, hopefully, this exemption won’t open a can of worms. We always suggest, if you are able, to make friends with your neighbours, talk to them about your plans for sheds etc, as this can make things easier. Recent Determinations & LBP Decisions MBIE recently released a determination regarding Council’s view that a building was dangerous. Council also supported a building owner with a complaint to the LBP board, where the LBP was disciplined by the board. Dangerous building determination: Determination 2025/046 (PDF) LBP Board complaint decision: BPB-CB26482 penalty decision Planning Matters Wairarapa Combined District Plan, Decisions Version A major milestone has been reached in the review of the Wairarapa Combined District Plan [WCDP], the key statutory planning document for Wairarapa’s three District Councils – Masterton, Carterton, and South Wairarapa.The Decisions version of the plan has been released, reflecting decisions made by the joint committee managing the review of the plan, following more than two years of submissions and hearings.A total of 242 submissions were received on the proposed district plan, containing 3759 submission points. This was followed by 86 further submissions supporting or opposing the original submissions.The panel has held 14 hearings to hear submissions. The Decisions version of the plan is available online, with hard copies available at Carterton, Masterton, and South Wairarapa district council offices. People who have made submissions or further submissions have until 21 November 2025 to appeal decisions made by the panel to the Environment Court. After 21 November, all parts of the plan for which an appeal has not been lodged will become operative. Where an appeal has been lodged, it will be a matter for the Environment Court to progress. Chair of the Panel, David McMahon, said the finalisation of the Decision version of the plan was a significant step. “We began the review process in 2021, and it is necessarily detailed and complex. I want to commend the work of council staff throughout this process and the diligent commitment of panel members. “Submissions from individuals and groups have also helped ensure good decision-making has shaped the new plan.” Review of the District Plan began in 2021, with preparation of a new plan in 2022-23, and submissions, hearings and appeals taking place 2023. Rainwater and setback requirements The Wairarapa Combined District Plan was adopted on 8 October and is now up and running. There are some notable new requirements that people need to be aware of. New residential properties must have 5000 litres of rainwater collection and storage. The new standards do not require the entire 5000 litres to be contained in a single tank, and there are some very innovative tank designs to assist with compliance. There are also new setback requirements. However, if the tank is no higher than 1.8m above ground level, the tank does not need to comply. Reference: Residential (GRZ) PDF Planning enquiries: planning@cdc.govt.nz Please be mindful wthat e have a very small planning team. This means you may not get instant responses to questions. You can email the planning team at planning@cdc.govt.nz Feedback & contact We are hoping for a pre-Christmas rush! Best wishes from the building team If there are other topics you think we could cover in this newsletter, or if you like it or don’t, we would love your feedback. You can email us buildingadmin@cdc.govt.nz Email the Building Team: buildingadmin@cdc.govt.nz Ngā mihi nui The Building & Planning Team
Fire Reports — Common issues & reviews Fire reports continue to be a persistent issue for Council. If a CPENG fire engineer does not prepare a fire report, we will send it to our contracted Chartered Professional Engineer (CPEng) for review. Alternatively, the applicant can have the report peer-reviewed themselves. When we receive a fire report, we check the basic facts associated with the project. For example, has the author used the correct risk group and classified use? Have they identified the correct sections of the Building Act? We also check that they have used the right sizes of the building and measured the means of escape correctly. Frustratingly, it is common to find that even these most basic of facts are incorrect, regardless of the author’s qualifications and status. If we find the basic facts are incorrect, we will always send it for review, regardless of the author’s status. The author should also state if the Fire Engineering Unit should review the report. Given this is purely about life, this is part of the sector that needs to lift its game significantly. Inspections & booking expectations We are seeing an increase in failed inspections because people are calling for inspections when the work isn’t ready. This wastes everyone’s time and, of course, adds cost to the project. We are also receiving requests for photos in lieu of inspections. We will not typically accept photos of work unless we have previously inspected part of the work and agreed up front that photos are acceptable. Recently, the Government introduced legislative changes requiring councils to carry out inspections within three days, 80 percent of the time. Although this isn’t an issue for us at the moment, people still need to organise their inspections ahead of time — don’t leave it until the last minute. Believe it or not, we have builders who ring a week or so in advance to book inspections — well done them! Remote Inspections (ZYTE) Council have the facility to undertake inspections remotely using a product called ZYTE. This means we don’t have to come to the site. We send you a text, you open the text and say “Yes” to the questions [screenshot below]. This allows us to see through the camera on your phone [and no, we can’t see your photos – don’t panic!]. We then tell you what we want you to point the camera at, we photograph what we want, and the inspection ends. Typically, we use ZYTE for small inspections or for the likes of remedial inspections, such as some additional work following an on-site failed inspection. Legislative Change: What’s Proposed? No doubt you would have seen the Government promoting various pieces of legislative change designed to speed up the consenting process, reduce costs, reduce red tape and remove the checks, balances and overview traditionally provided by council. Some of the work streams include: Changing the LBP scheme to include under tile waterproofing Changes to liability settings Changes to earthquake-prone building legislation Exempting Granny flats ( small standalone dwellings) from both building and resource consenting requirements ( exclusions will apply) Self-certification by plumbers and drainlayers ( prescribed work by trusted individuals) Restrictions eased on garden sheds Self-certification by defined builders( prescribed work by trusted individuals) The use of overseas product standards, overseas product verification, or other products or systems identified by the Minister. [Read more at building.govt.nz] Many of these changes are expected early next year. MBIE is consulting on many of these elements as I put this newsletter together. If you have a view on the proposals, take the opportunity and provide feedback to MBIE. MBIE are always keen to hear from people other than councils. Councils are concerned Councils function will turn from interactive to reactive and enforcement based. What these proposals show is that government have a different appetite for risk compared to previous governments. The Minister continues to provide assurances that these changes will not lead to widespread issues for building owners because people will always still comply with the Building Code and do the job properly. The change to liability settings is typically welcomed by councils however it doesn’t mean we don’t check that the work is being done properly. We wont look at a problem, decide because we won’t have to pay as much if it goes wrong, we can ignore it. The satisfied on reasonable grounds test still applies in exactly the same way. Before you get stuck in and start building granny flats and sheds willy nilly all over the place, and trying to sign off your own work, or get your plumber mates in, you need to wait for the legislative change to come through. There is likely a number of conditions that will need to be met before you can start as part of each of these things. The devil will be in the detail of supporting regulations and then guidance to explain what the regulations mean. This is all due early next year. The message is – hold off until then. MBIE Guidance, Webinars & Consultation MBIE provides a range of guidance and webinars on proposed changes in support of upcoming consultations, or changes required by the Minister. There is also consultation on what they call Building Code review (acceptable solution review). Recently Councils attended a webinar on the oversea’s product scheme including certificates of conformity in this case relating to thousands of products covered by watermark in Australia. We are looking forward to seeing what designers do with these. Our intention is to just carry on as normal. If you are member of a recognised group such as Master Buildings, Certified Builders, Master Plumbers, NZIA, or Engineering New Zealand for example, often they seek members view and provide feedback to the Ministry. I would encourage you to be a part of that feedback loop. Remember its hard to moan about changes if you didn’t provide any input. Register for MBIE updates Granny flat/small stand-alone dwelling exemptions MBIE and the Government have clearly been busy. They have released information relating to the granny flat/small standalone dwelling exemptions. I do note that it is not Council’s role to provide construction, nor design, advice. When making decisions around these exemptions, homeowners should seek advice from design and construction professionals, not Council. Council will play no part in the design and/or construction of this type of exempt work, other than project information memoranda [PIMs] and getting paperwork It is useful to remind people of the requirements for contracts, making sure contracts are checked and that there is adequate protection in place for homeowners Exempt building work provisions The Government has also recently changed the exempt building work provisions to include roof-mounted solar panel arrays and single-storey detached buildings, as well as their boundary setbacks. Solar panel and boundary setback building consent exemption changes | Building Performance Traditionally most Councils have considered solar arrays as electrical work and haven’t required building consents. By clarifying that this type of work would have required consent, hopefully, this exemption won’t open a can of worms. We always suggest, if you are able, to make friends with your neighbours, talk to them about your plans for sheds etc, as this can make things easier. Recent Determinations & LBP Decisions MBIE recently released a determination regarding Council’s view that a building was dangerous. Council also supported a building owner with a complaint to the LBP board, where the LBP was disciplined by the board. Dangerous building determination: Determination 2025/046 (PDF) LBP Board complaint decision: BPB-CB26482 penalty decision Planning Matters Wairarapa Combined District Plan, Decisions Version A major milestone has been reached in the review of the Wairarapa Combined District Plan [WCDP], the key statutory planning document for Wairarapa’s three District Councils – Masterton, Carterton, and South Wairarapa.The Decisions version of the plan has been released, reflecting decisions made by the joint committee managing the review of the plan, following more than two years of submissions and hearings.A total of 242 submissions were received on the proposed district plan, containing 3759 submission points. This was followed by 86 further submissions supporting or opposing the original submissions.The panel has held 14 hearings to hear submissions. The Decisions version of the plan is available online, with hard copies available at Carterton, Masterton, and South Wairarapa district council offices. People who have made submissions or further submissions have until 21 November 2025 to appeal decisions made by the panel to the Environment Court. After 21 November, all parts of the plan for which an appeal has not been lodged will become operative. Where an appeal has been lodged, it will be a matter for the Environment Court to progress. Chair of the Panel, David McMahon, said the finalisation of the Decision version of the plan was a significant step. “We began the review process in 2021, and it is necessarily detailed and complex. I want to commend the work of council staff throughout this process and the diligent commitment of panel members. “Submissions from individuals and groups have also helped ensure good decision-making has shaped the new plan.” Review of the District Plan began in 2021, with preparation of a new plan in 2022-23, and submissions, hearings and appeals taking place 2023. Rainwater and setback requirements The Wairarapa Combined District Plan was adopted on 8 October and is now up and running. There are some notable new requirements that people need to be aware of. New residential properties must have 5000 litres of rainwater collection and storage. The new standards do not require the entire 5000 litres to be contained in a single tank, and there are some very innovative tank designs to assist with compliance. There are also new setback requirements. However, if the tank is no higher than 1.8m above ground level, the tank does not need to comply. Reference: Residential (GRZ) PDF Planning enquiries: planning@cdc.govt.nz Please be mindful wthat e have a very small planning team. This means you may not get instant responses to questions. You can email the planning team at planning@cdc.govt.nz Feedback & contact We are hoping for a pre-Christmas rush! Best wishes from the building team If there are other topics you think we could cover in this newsletter, or if you like it or don’t, we would love your feedback. You can email us buildingadmin@cdc.govt.nz Email the Building Team: buildingadmin@cdc.govt.nz Ngā mihi nui The Building & Planning Team
